Rodney Gould

Summary

Rodney Gould (10 March 1943 – 16 April 2024) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and UK short circuit specialist.

Rodney Gould
Gould on a 250 Bultaco 33 close behind Phil Read 61 following Mike Hailwood 35, around 1967 at Cadwell Park
NationalityBritish
Born(1943-03-10)10 March 1943
Banbury, England
Died16 April 2024(2024-04-16) (aged 81)
Cheltenham, England
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years19671972
First race1967 500cc East German Grand Prix
Last race1972 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
First win1970 250cc French Grand Prix
Last win1972 250cc Swedish Grand Prix
Team(s)Yamaha
Championships250cc – 1970
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
54 10 34 0 8 468

Gould began racing in 1961 and made his first Isle of Man TT appearance in 1967. He rode a variety of machines including Manx Nortons and two-stroke Bultacos for the smaller classes, and was supported by UK Aermacchi concessionaire Syd Lawton from 1966,[1] before turning to Yamaha TD2s and TR2s.

Gould won the 1970 FIM 250cc world championship on a Yamaha.[2] After finishing third in the 250 class and fourth in the 500 class in 1972, Gould retired from competition and took a position as Yamaha's European racing manager.[3]

Gould in action during the 1971 250cc Dutch TT.

In 1979 Gould established a retail motorcycle dealership in Birmingham named Hailwood and Gould, in partnership with famous former-racer Mike Hailwood, who was subsequently killed in a road traffic accident in 1981. In 1984, Gould was briefly Sales Manager for the second incarnation of Hesketh Motorcycles based at Lord Hesketh's Easton Neston stately home.

Gould died at his home in Cheltenham on 16 April 2024, at the age of 81.[4]

Motorcycle Grand Prix results[2][5] edit

Points system from 1950 to 1968:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1969 onwards:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins
1967 350cc AJS GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
JPN
-
0 0
500cc Norton GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
5
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
CAN
-
2 19th 0
1968 250cc Yamaha GER
4
ESP
-
IOM
5
NED
5
DDR
4
CZE
4
FIN
3
ULS
3
NAT
-
21 4th 0
Kawasaki BEL
3
500cc Norton GER
6
ESP
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
1 24th 0
1969 250cc Yamaha ESP
-
GER
-
FRA
2
IOM
NC
NED
4
BEL
2
DDR
-
CZE
2
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
YUG
-
44 6th 0
350cc Yamaha ESP
-
GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
2
CZE
2
FIN
2
ULS
-
NAT
-
YUG
-
36 5th 0
1970 250cc Yamaha GER
-
FRA
1
YUG
3
IOM
2
NED
1
BEL
1
DDR
1
CZE
-
FIN
1
ULS
2
NAT
1
ESP
-
102 1st 6
350cc Yamaha GER
-
YUG
5
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
3
ULS
-
NAT
-
ESP
2
28 6th 0
1971 125cc Yamaha AUT
-
GER
-
IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
7
DDR
-
CZE
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
4 24th 0
250cc Yamaha AUT
-
GER
-
IOM
4
NED
-
BEL
6
DDR
2
CZE
-
SWE
1
FIN
1
ULS
6
NAT
4
ESP
-
68 2nd 2
350cc Yamaha AUT
-
GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
4
DDR
-
CZE
-
SWE
4
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
16 13th 0
1972 250cc Yamaha GER
6
FRA
-
AUT
-
NAT
2
IOM
2
YUG
2
NED
1
BEL
2
DDR
3
CZE
4
SWE
1
FIN
-
ESP
-
88 3rd 2
350cc Yamaha GER
-
FRA
-
AUT
-
NAT
6
IOM
NC
YUG
-
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
ESP
-
6 25th 0
500cc Yamaha GER
-
FRA
-
AUT
-
NAT
-
IOM
-
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
3
DDR
2
CZE
4
SWE
2
FIN
3
ESP
-
52 4th 0

References edit

  1. ^ 'Full Chat', Motorcycle Mechanics, August 1966. Retrieved 16 April 2013
  2. ^ a b "Rodney Gould". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  3. ^ "iomtt.com news". iomtt.com. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Rodney Gould Nous A Quittés". Auto News Info. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Rodney Gould at iomtt.com". iomtt.com. Retrieved 8 December 2010.